As ever, take this with a grain of salt, but a new rumor from Taiwan’s Industrial & Commercial Times claims the iPhone 6 will come in two flavors: a 4.7-inch version and a 5.5-inch version. But one of those devices could launch well outside Apple’s customary September window.

We’ve heard the rumor of two different iPhone sizes before, and given recent evidence submitted in the latest Apple versus Samsung patent battle, we wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be true. In internal documents, Apple executives have shown themselves to be keenly aware that consumers want a bigger iPhone, and there’s a lot of evidence to suggest 2014 is the year when they finally deliver.

So although Taiwan’s Industrial & Commercial Times is hardly the Grey Lady of Apple journalism, there’s starting to look like a lot of smoke for the report of two differently sized iPhone 6’s in the pipeline to not have at least some validity.

What’s more surprising, though, is that the same rumor suggests that only the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will be available this year. It will go into mass production in July. The 5.5-inch version, however, is still having production difficulties due to the much larger screen size, and this new rumor suggests it won’t go into mass production until September, meaning it would launch closer to Christmas.

It’s not clear what Apple would do in that scenario. My guess is they’d announce both the 4.7-inch iPhone and the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 in September, giving a tentative release date of late November for the larger model, with pre-orders starting earlier in November. The 4.7-inch version, on the other hand, would go on sale in September, as usual. Apple has done this before for products that weren’t quite ready for shipment, but were ready to be announced, such as the thinner, 27-inch iMac or the new stealth black Mac Pro.

What do you think? Would you buy a 5.5-inch iPhone 6? Let us know in the comments.

Please, no. Steve Jobs had it right — a phone you can’t completely operate with one hand, or easily slip into your pants pocket, isn’t a phone anymore. I have no intention to ever buy a phone noticeably larger than my 5S.

Grunt_at_the_Point

People are different, one size doesn’t fit all. Many of us can’t wait for a larger iPhone. There is no right or wrong size. If a certain segment of the market wants a larger iPhone why not give it to them if it is profitable to do so.

BrS

So make one giant model, not only giant models (as the rumour suggests they intend to do).

Grunt_at_the_Point

I don’t consider the 4.7″ a giant by any stretch. People are using their iPhones for games, video, and photography. Screen real estate is very important for these activities.

james smith

The only benefit of having a larger screen is playing games you sure don’t need it to make a phone call LOL

2oh1

Actually the “only benefit” is running apps, not just games, and that’s the vast majority of what people do with iPhones. The days of a cellphone being primarily used as a phone are long gone.

Robert Trance

And better reading news on the go, making notes/reminders/agenda items, messagin and generally better typing, etc…. Make some efforts to think before you spit bullcrap out of your mouth

BrS

Yes, the screen size race is just getting sillier and sillier.

eggimage

quit saying steve jobs was right on everything. he was the one that had been rejecting the idea of ipad mini, which in reality turned out to be a way hotter seller than the full size one until ipad air was introduced. and he had been rejecting the idea of having a stylus for the ipad, now the professional designers can’t take full advantages of the ipad because there’s no electromagnetic active digitizer for it. a capacitive stylus for designs is simply a joke. many have been trying workarounds to solve this problem but it’s never gonna be as good as having native support for the wacom digitizers. apple should have worked with wacom for a special version for the designers/artists years ago

M.C

The main reason I moved to android was screen size. I use my phone daily to read email, news feed, games. So, 4″ is uncomfortable. Now I have a LGG2 5.2″, and don’t mind to change to a smaller display.

You’re right, but you’re wrong in the fact that you are assuming everyone else in the world has tiny hands like you, and can’t operate anything larger than the current iphone with one hand.

There are some people with baseball mitts for hands (like me) and they make the current iphones look like Micro SD cards. I am upgrading my phone this fall and i would love to stick with iPhone, so if these rumors are true, it will do a great deal in prying me away from the enticing Samsung Note.

Martin Blase

You’re wrong in assuming I have tiny hands. Or that I’m not speaking from experience.

For the record, I’m 6’6″ and can palm a basketball. But when holding my iPhone 5S comfortably in one hand, my thumb is at maximum extension to reach the far top corner. I’ve tried to do the same on a larger Samsung smartphone (S3 I believe), and can’t reach the entire screen with one thumb.

Jacob Gaertner

Ha! I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe that you can palm a basketball if you are at max extension on an iPhone. And that you don’t have tiny hands. But who knows, maybe you just have a freakishly short pinky and thumb.

Also, height doesn’t mean anything. I know you like being tall and flaunting it (I am about 6’4″, i can relate), but please, don’t bring it up in irrelevant discussions.

But none of this changes my point (which you ignored). There are still plenty of people that have larger hands than you, and would love to have a larger screened iPhone option. There are even people that have smaller hands, but would like a larger phone anyway.

The world doesn’t revolve around you, Marty.

http://batman-news.com Eric Sandoval

This will never happen. Apple wont release another iphone 3-5 months later at all. It (the 5.5) MIGHT be the 6s but even thats pushing it tremendously. The jump from iPhoneXX to iPhoneXXs never includes major new harware features like this. It will either be both at launch with limited supply or only one version. But who knows, Cook is’nt Jobs.

John

What kind of person wants a 5.5 in iPhone? That’s freaking ridiculous. Buy an iPad ffs.

Shawn Wright

Don’t judge the phone by its size. It will be a bad ass phone and it’s actually going to be 5.7, it will be a beautiful monster

eggimage

ipads don’t have many of the major communication apps simply because there’s no cellular call capability. most of the developers are still choosing iphone first long before they decide to go universal. and it’s a pain to keep multiple devices and not everything can just be solved by “syncing with cloud storage”

zatchu

I have a iPad but I can’t put it in my pocket! But I can put the bigger iPhone in it. So Quit Dissing people just because they want a bigger iPhone!

Damien Tagoe

5.5 please, perfect for my commute!

SOB

4.7in – yes. 5.5 in – no.

http://www.feastofbeast.com DJBabyBuster

ditto

BrS

And one phone size one (like the current models).

Robert Trance

I think there is nothing wrong to give people more size choices….

zatchu

Thank you Robert! Different people like different things so give us a choice! Just because you Don’t want a bigger iPhone you Don’t have a right to tell others what they can have! So keep your little iPhone 5 and leave the bigger iPhone’s alone!

Robert Trance

Indeed, i think 4.7 would be the ideal size!

SOB

What would really tick me off is if the 5.5 in phone has better features than the 4.7 in. I hope Apple doesn’t treat the 5.5 as their flagship and the 4.7 like a 5C.

orthorim

Had this discussion today with two Android friends – both chose Android because of the larger screen. Turns out a Nexus 5 fits in a pants pocket just fine, and women have purses or bags anyway so it’s not a concern.

I’m not convinced I need a bigger screen.

But from Apple’s perspective, the equation is very simple – all the high end Android devices have bigger screens, and they’re selling heaps and bounds. Apple would be stupid to ignore this market.

None of the reasons to keep the screen size at what it was apply anymore:– Expectations. People expect big phones today.– Platform. No issue with 1M+ apps in the app store there is so much momentum an additional screen size won’t slow things down. Also auto-layout is now part of iOS.

So yeah it’s coming. Not because of this rumor, but because it’s inevitable.

Shawn Wright

I will wait for the 5.7 I know that’s the one that will be here after the holidays, the first thing I’ll do is watch netflix

Alex Cortez

Even on this now happen “ size matter”

rpgenius420

Lumia 1520 blows the sad little girlie iphone away!

wylekat

A larger screen in my case would mean easier to see screen for typing and photo editing- which I end up transferring the pic to the iPad so i can see what the hell I am actually doing. I looked and gave the Samsung gigantic phone things a good honest run. They are just not good enough for my uses. Your mileage will vary, of course. Mine does, I can get around 3 days before I actually have to charge my iPhone, unless I am snapping a lot of pictures. then I get about a day and a half out of the battery.

zatchu

You just use it as a phone then because if you got on the internet or any other apps you’re iPhone would not last a day! I know I have a iPhone 5 and I have to charge it twice a day. Because I like to get on Facebook, FlipBoard and other apps plus I even turn off a lot of my refresh apps location services too just to get it to last a half a day!

Charles

If they do this two-toning with the sizes, please keep on small around 4.3-4.7″ for us shorties and petites!

trocose .

Steve Jobs most definitely had it right to design a “phone” to use with only one hand eg thumb…If you want to look like the silly one with a brick connected to your head calling someone so be it.. Seeing ppl use the Sam 5 to call is a laugh and ridiculous.!!!.. As the legend Steve Jobs says “people want a smaller and thinner and more powerful smart phone ..any manufacture can produce a over large smartphone” …. Steve so true and thank you for changing the world in smartphone technology..

Bryan

So many of you are like children who have been told they’re toys are ugly and start a tantrum on the floor, spitting and frothing at the mouth. The 5 series is still going to be available for those who like a smaller smartphone. Others like myself will opt for the 4.7″ and others will go for the 5″ its just a matter of preference. WTF is wrong with some of you? Get a grip, it’s a phone.

About the author

John Brownlee is a Contributing Editor. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.

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